On a ballot question Tuesday, Lower Makefield Township residents voted by a two-to-one margin on spending $15 million to preserve open space in the town, writes Jeff Bohen for the Lower Bucks Source.
The ballot question asked voters to approve funding for “the preservation of environmental areas and open space for passive recreational purposes and benefits within the township,” according to a resolution approved by township supervisors.
If the $15 million approved by voters is paid back over 25 years at current interest rates, township officials said it would cost residents around $82 annually based on the average home assessment of $43,600.
Supervisors created the question in July to determine if funding can be used “to purchase, place an easement on, and buy the development rights for undeveloped land.”
Under the approved referendum, a maximum of 30 percent of the borrowed funding, or $4.5 million, can be used to improve or maintain undeveloped land. The 30 percent mark ensures that the majority of borrowed money was used to purchase open space land for preservation.
The specific projects that will be supported have not yet been determined.
Read more about Lower Makefield’s preserve open space ballot question in the Lower Bucks Source.
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